CallMeTex

You are talking about the title of your post as being the point. That's a shrug for me. Was Jesus, Jesus? A lot of stuff is co-opted based on who was writing what, when. But you have a larger point or I thought you did. You say....

"Islam is so much bulls-hit that the only way anyone could believe it is by having it shoved down his or her throat at gunpoint. which is usually the case in most religions and in Islam in particular."

Then you go on with a great amount of detail of things wrong with the holy book. I echo your original statement but added... pick any of the books.

So here is my theory (which I stole) - people always believe the nonsense that is passed down to them by their parents. Why? Because the brain is not rational. It isn't a biological computer. And over our about 150,000 years of man's evolution (and more from our ancestors) those that could accept what mom/dad said without much back talk were more likely to survive. We are programmed. (For better discussion see Dawkin's "God Delusion").

As it turns out, the number 1 predictor by far of a person's religion, is the religion of the parents. You are not Muslim because you were not raised Muslim.

Similarly, we are programmed for Type 1 errors or false positives rather than Type 2 errors or false negatives. If early man identified a tiger shaking the bush and runs, he has attributed agency to a natural occurrence. He is rewarded for his paranoia by getting a bit more exercise. There isn't much price to be paid for being wrong. If early man says no tiger, and he is wrong (type 2 or false negative), his genetic line comes to an end. Type 1 errors are favored.

So given an authority figure preaches a big sky guy can smite us, it is easy to appease the big guy and give agency to the natural world. Perhaps we are programmed to live Paschal's wager. Paschal argues that there is less risk in believing in a God and being wrong than choosing not to believe and being wrong.

From my perspective man is but a blink in time. The earth is 4.5B years old, and man has only been here for about 150K. Heck, look how long we have had a written record. Civilization is like yesterday. And the only reason we are here at all is because a mass extinction event wipe out the dinosaurs and paved the way for the rise of mammals. Dinosaurs ruled for about 65 million years compared to our meager time of existence. And realize that extinction event was only one of several. So... it's hard to accept we are the Big Guy's special monkey as it has been quite a circuitous route to being here at all.

Coming back to your post then... to "Islam in particular", I respond ... not so particular. If you don't believe me go watch the Southpark analysis of the Mormons. Have you heard that story? But still... all the stories are kind of goofy. And if that isn't your point... it is mine. And as to the question in your title... does it matter?